Those are the odds on North Carolina, the universally recognized favorite to win the NCAA Championship this year. But, at +500, and given North Carolina’s difficult road to the championship, it makes sense to look for value when placing a future bet on an NCAA Championship contender.

Look no further than the Pac-10. There are no less than three teams capable of winning the NCAA tournament this coming 2007-2008 year and all three of them are going off at BetUS odds greater than +500.

UCLA – BetUS odds +750

The UCLA Bruins may not be able to play football when it counts, but they sure know how to play basketball. Ben Howland is a great coach and the hope is that his team has finally matured to where they can take home the big trophy. They return Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya, and Lorenzo Mata. This is a team that understands how to get to the Big Dance, but has a problem closing the door against their opponents. At BetUS odds of +750, maybe they’re a good bet to turn the tables on whomever they play in the Final Four.

Washington State – BetUS odds +1500

The Cougars return two of there three starting guards from last year’s surprise team, Derrick Low, Taylor Rochestie, and Kyle Weaver. That gives them a head-start over almost every other team in the nation. However, the Cougars play a very soft schedule and that might not toughen them up for a run in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, at somewhat low odds, for a three-guard team, of 15 to 1, the soft schedule is not worth betting on. The feeling here is that the Cougars will fall in the second round again in this season’s tournament.

USC – BetUS odds + 1800

Without a doubt this team looks good to great on paper and only needed one other player to ensure their success this year in the NCAA tournament. That player happens to be the most-hyped eighteen year-old to strap on a pair of high-tops since LeBron James. Well, LeBron went straight to the pros. O.J. Mayo, meanwhile, might get USC and L.A. fans to forget about the other O.J. Wouldn’t that be something? It’s not a stretch since this O.J. is supremely talented. The Trojans look formidable. They return enough players from a team that played very well in the tournament last year and by adding Mayo, who happens to be a 6-5 guard, they automatically become a huge threat to UCLA in the Pac-10. At juicy BetUS odds of 18 to 1, you pretty much have to wager on these guys.

Arizona – BetUS odds +2500

No chance, right? They lost Mustafa Shakur, Marcus Williams and Ivan Radenovic. Wait a sec, they hired Kevin O’Neill, a former Division 1A coach to explain to the Wildcats how to play defense. That might be enough. That’s the thing with Arizona. When you expect them to do well, they don’t. When you don’t expect them to do well, they do. At odds of 25 to 1, they are worth a bet. After all, Lute Olsen did sign Jerryd Bayless who reminds some of another guard from the city of Phoenix who played for Olsen - - Mike Bibby.

Other teams of note:

Oregon Ducks are always difficult to play against, but the chances of them winning the NCAA Tournament aren’t reflected in their odds of +2500. They could win the Pac-10 but will find it difficult in the tournament just because they aren’t as deep as a true tournament team needs to be and I doubt they can keep up the frenetic pace that they play for the entire year and into the tournament.